1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voice reproduction device for storing and reproducing voice when necessary and, more particularly, to a voice reproduction device for combining optimum voice data according to use conditions to generate and reproduce a voice message.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional voice reproduction devices which reproduce voice data stored in a memory in advance when necessary seem to be uniform to users because the contents and voice quality of a message generated by voice data are fixed. To young users, in particular, the voice sounds too uniform to draw users' full attention and therefore prevents improvement in efficiency of communication using voice information.
To solve these problems, a voice reproduction device is proposed which combines pieces of a message based on voice data to create and reproduce a voice message with a meaning. One of conventional voice reproduction devices of this kind is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open (Kokai) No. Heisei 5-19779, entitled "Voice Editing Device". The literature recites a device which includes a voice piece accumulation unit for accumulating a plurality of pieces of a voice message of a meaning which is to be edited and synthesized and selects pieces of a voice message with the same meaning at random or at will from the accumulated pieces to generate a series of voice messages with a signification, thereby giving variation to voice information to prevent uniformity of voice information.
The above-described conventional voice reproduction device is, however, incapable of creating a voice message corresponding to an individual user because voice pieces to be used in a message are still based on voice data accumulated in a memory in advance. It is therefore impossible to draw a user's attention to improve information communication efficiency satisfactorily.
For users of young age, for example, calling them by their names or voice messages created by incorporating pieces of voice whose quality is familiar to them into voice information can draw users' full attention. The above-described conventional voice reproduction device is, however, incapable of creating such a voice message and is accordingly not allowed to communicate voice information by means of an optimum voice message corresponding to each individual user.